NAM is the official provider of online scientific reporting for the
8th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment
and Prevention (IAS 2015), which will take place in Vancouver, Canada,
19th-22nd July 2015.

HIV, health and your community

‘HIV, Health and Your Community: A Guide for Action’ was
developed by Dr Reuben Granich and Dr Jonathan Mermin as an accessible guide
for community health and primary health workers in settings where resources
were limited but the challenge of HIV was immense.

After a decade in print, the authors are now
partnering with NAM
to develop and publish a new edition.

NAM is making the 2006
edition available for download but we have highlighted where sections may now
be out of date due to advances in treatment and care.

The epidemiology of HIV: A short history of the HIV epidemic; Global cooperation; How HIV is spread worldwide; Effects of HIV on the community; HIV and other diseases; How do we study the HIV epidemic? Min-Soo’s story.

A global picture: HIV in different regions of the world; Men, women and HIV; Africa below the Sahara desert; Latin America and the Caribbean; North America and Western Europe; South and Southeast Asia; Eastern Europe and Central Asia; Lon Chin’s story.

Counseling about sexual behaviour: HIV and discrimination; helping people change behaviour; Casual contact and HIV; Sex and HIV; How to avoid spreading HIV through sex; Other factors that affect the spread of HIV. Olga’s questions.

The spread of HIV through ways other than sex: How HIV is spread; HIV, alcohol and drug use; HIV and blood transfusions; HIV in the clinic; HIV outside the clinic; Mothers, babies and HIV; Misunderstanding about HIV; Clarence’s story.

Understanding the HIV test: History of the HIV test; HIV tests and antibodies; How the ELISA and Western blot tests work; When to test and when not to test; What does a test result mean; The HIV test and babies; Confidential and anonymous testing; Mandatory screening; Behaviour change; HIV testing and pregnancy; Jean-Patrice’s story.

Training HIV health workers: How do we learn? Who will come to your training session? Where should you teach? Getting the session started; Helping others lead; Using language and methods that work; Serving as an example; After the session; Phan’s story.

Designing HIV prevention programs: What is HIV prevention; Community-based and government prevention efforts; Community outreach; HIV testing as part of prevention; How to create a good message; How to get the word out; Creative ways to publicize your message; Using the media; Carlo’s story.

Funding strategies: Resources; Do we need funding? Using local resources first; Planning the project; What does your community need most? Making a budget; Types of funding organizations; What is a proposal; Writing a good proposal; Parts of a proposal; Keeping contacts alive; Maria’s story.

HIV, health and your community

This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.

NAM’s information is intended to support, rather than replace, consultation with a healthcare professional. Talk to your doctor or another member of your healthcare team for advice tailored to your situation.